that will be the question
I'm over the half-way mark of my (first) enlistment. The recruiters got me good for I am in a 5-year contract instead of the standard four. The MC tries to justify the longer contracts based off MOS schooling - if you're in school for a year, that's one less year you have to spend in the fleet, and since they are spending all this time and money on you, they want to make sure they get their four.
Well, truth of the matter is, my school was 30 days. Justification? None what-so-ever other than its the MC screwing people at all costs. I did not know better at the time - wasn't young and dumb, I just thought that's how it was, I didn't know I could negotiate with the government (for one last time).
So I am stuck in my 5 year contract, in an overly populated MOS, that for some reason they continue to push people into, even though our Jr ranks are almost at 300% capacity...
I'm not a fan of this job - it bores me. Sure it's an easy desk job, in the heart of the CoC...it's cushy, it's safe, it's behind a computer..it's the complete opposite of anything you'd think MC (i.e. grunts).
But where it lacks in 'hard work' it makes up in stupidity.
In order to get this MOS you have to have one of the highest GT scores in the MC - that means we are all smart people. Yet, higher ups still treat us as if we just came from the special-ed third grade. No trust, no awareness, no understanding. To make matters worse, with the influx of people being pushed into this job, and those who joined/lat moved at the height of the war and ranked up really fast and now refuse to leave because they are up to such ranks; there is little to no promotions.
Smart people are already disgruntled, the MC says let's make them more disgruntled...
Nothing is more disconcerting than being on a deployment with people from a different shop, that you are working side by side with, who are chasing a cutting score in the 1500s...These folk are getting furious that 'if they would have done all their MCIs they would have the 20 extra points to pick up to Cpl at 1570" HOLY FUCK...I think my first composite score was around that score...
but here I am, 2 years after picking up E3, and with a composite score of 1700 I finally pick up...If my MOS isn't closed out, the cutting score is extremely high.
I remember before I picked up, having to take orders from E4s from other shops that picked up with cutting scores that were a joke. I understand that I am older, and I've made piece with taking orders from younger people...however, where I draw the line is taking orders from someone who has been in the MC less time than I have..and the only reason they have is a higher rank is they either sucked someone off, or their MOS is a joke.
So one may ask, why not lat-move yourself when you go to re-enlist? If I were to re-enlist, this would be my path...but, the first question remains..will I?
Since I'm over the half-way mark, I have to set my sights on what's the next hurdle - Feb 12, 2016. That is my EAS date..either the last day I am owned by the government, or time to renew their lease on me. As this is a year deployment, by the time I return back to my home duty station, I'll have a year left on my contract and that will be the time I'll either be putting in my package to re-enlist, or jumping through all the hoops in order to get out.
I have stated my future in the MC really depends on this deployment - some will say I cannot base deployments or the MC on this "deployment", but, when it's all I have seen, then yes, yes I can.
I've given the MC and my command years of my service and time to 'prove me another way', and they have failed to do so. I've been lied to time and time again. I've been backstabbed, I've had rumors spread about me, all by people who are supposed to take a grenade for me - honestly, I'd rather have the gay and short Bruno Mars have my back.
I've stated one thing that will make or break the decision will be if I get into Afghanistan or not. In 2012 when I MEF deployed, they already had their crew who would be going out. We were told they would do 6 and out, and others (myself) would replace them..to give everyone a chance to go. That never happened. Then an opportunity arose for one person to go out for about 6 months at the end of it all. Once again I was looked over and some other douche was sent to go for some reason.
So then, as the next cycle for 2014 came up, those who were looked over and never got the chance were first in line to go this time. As the time grew closer to chop forward and cease stepping foot in the rear office, we all were getting excited...but excitement would turn into frustration soon enough. There was a Sgt they wanted to throw into the mix. Their reasoning was "he's never had a deployment and we want him to be more competitive for SSgt" - and that meant he would take my place. I did not like this. But then there were two people were removed from the group - both on shady accounts. One person was going through a divorce and that was their justification, the other was coming off BCP (he was fat), so they got the ax. This allowed me to retain a place...except things would be rearranged.
I got bumped from Afghan to Kuwait, losing out
an all that, a secondary rate deployment in anyone's minds. Happy to
still be going somewhere, I figured I'd be able to wiggle my way into a country
that is a stone's throw away. The last missing spot would be another
"interesting" choice. Out of everyone that was left in the
office, they selected the one person who hadn't been doing the actual job..the
one person who just got in from the schoolhouse...the one person who didn't
know anything....the one person who wore makeup and could take a dick.
Those in charge would sit back and try to
justify taking the girl to everyone around, but we're not stupid...we knew they wanted eye candy, we knew it wasn't any of the hundred reasons they would spout off..it's because she was a woman...and she would get that spot in afghan, not me...
Well, it gets even more interesting...that Sgt ended up getting selected for Staff...so when the Monitor found out he was a Staff Select filling a billet for a Sgt, he got removed from the deployment - my original fucking spot - but by then it was too late to move me back over, since kuwait and afghan deployed at different times. So that spot ended up getting filled by a Cpl from a lower group, who just picked up Cpl a couple months before me - has been in since '09, and is EAS'ing this year...
yes, because that makes sense...have the shitbag nco who is getting out halfway through the deployment get to go on the deployment...
Getting to Afghan won't make me re-enlist, but not getting into Afghan will definitely make it a zero percent chance for me to do so. I'm not a fucking "ribbon chaser", but it's the last time in who knows how long anybody will get a campaign ribbon. And the MC is a pissing contest, we all know that. And for someone to say "it doesn't matter the stack that's on your chest" is feeding you bullshit.
So basically, if I don't get into Afghan, 0% chance of re-enlistment
If I do get into Afghan, 5% chance of re-enlistment...
that's where we are...looks like I'm over it.
"so you're saying there's a chance..."